Formula Unique

The Marina Bay Circuit, its a beauty isn't it?

[EDIT] I've managed to upload a couple of pictures to the post, as promised. Additional images will be added in due time (when I'm able to get a better connection). [EDIT]

Firstly, I would like to apologize for the lack of images and pictures in this post. This is largely due to my technical restrictions pertaining to the speed of my internet.

Well I feel that talking about an event is largely compromised in terms of richness and depth with the lack of images to describe and relate to. They say that "a picture says a thousand words" so I'll try to update this particular post with pictures as soon as I'm able to do so.

Let us dive straight into the action without delay then.

And yes, that's a Ferrari around the corner.

This weekend saw the Formula One contingent storm into sunny Singapore for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

A piece of history carved in stone for both the sport as well as the country for it was the first night race ever to be held for the sport of Formula One.

World class racers arrived days prior to the start of the race and took time off to familiarize themselves to the climate and also, to the track in which they'll be putting their lives on the line to travel at speeds of up to 300 km/h.

There was an evident buzz descending upon the city of Singapore too, as race day inched closer and closer; a moment in history about the unfold.

The "tunnel of light" which thousands of people gathered around in hopes of sneaking a glimpse of their favorite drivers.

I was there, at ground zero where it was all happening, the Marina Bay Circuit, for the qualifying session on Saturday, a couple of days back.

A festive atmosphere greeted me as I got the all clear from the tight security officials stationed at selected areas around the track, each making sure that conditions were optimum for the race to commence without unnecessary inconveniences.

Booths and huge tents were set up around various locations in the area. Many of which catered to the various needs and wants of the race day spectators. The amenities were simply top-notched.

Porsches speeding by the Fulleton Hotel.

Other races filled up the program sheet for the day. Some of which included Aston Martins, BMWs and Porsches revving their engines up, igniting the already lively atmosphere with grunts and roars which echoed off the tall neighboring buildings of the Central Business District of Singapore.

Dusk soon settled which threw long shadows upon the track as the sun slowly dissipated on the horizon. The atmosphere however, didn't falter.

High pitched grunts from the distance saw the start of the main event; Formula One cars in action. Everyone gathered up their cameras, plugged in their ear plugs and tilted their heads in anticipation, excitement clearly streaming in their minds.

*

The sights and the amazing buzz of activity around the Marina Bay Area.

A couple of hours ago saw the Singapore Grand Prix swing into full throttle (pun intended) as the Marina Bay Circuit rang into life as the the last of the three red lights went off.

Well I personally, was really excited and proud at that very moment though it may sound and appear really odd.

Nope, I wasn't at "ground zero" this time (I was only there for the Qualifying rounds) but witnessed the event via the television, which I might add, provided a substantial amount of coverage for the entire event. Kudos for that.

The race itself had its fair share of ups and downs and to me personally it was a roller coaster of emotions and certainly, one of the more dramatic races that I've ever seen. I will not go into detail lest the presence of spoilers (for more information about the various events that happened, be sure to catch repeat telecasts as well as race reports), but I can assure that its something people will talk about for a long time to come.

It was really amusing yet assuring to see my family clinging onto their seats as we huddled over the television set, watching the race. The fact that they weren't exactly racing fanatics emphasized the point stronger.

History was made. The first ever night race in Formula One history and I guess that explained my sense of pride for our little island we call Singapore.

Hosting the first night race has certainly put Singapore on a whole new level in terms of their global image and also on the world map.

I hope we'll no longer be referred to as the "tiny red dot" but more rather, "the country that hosted the first ever night Formula One Race".

Sure, I'm a racing fan, but with reference to the rest of my family, whom to much concern, regard the term "Iceman" as a superhero and "Understeer" as an object under the steering wheel.

I guess the Formula for Singaporeans to feel proud of their country lies in being unique. Well, at least in my case. As long as a prominent event pulls at the Singaporean heartstrings, I'm sure that sense of pride will ensure.

People nowadays are deteriorating their sense of pride towards their countries, and with much reason to feel so, lest may I add. Living standards are sky rocketing and the world is a much competitive place to live in, in recent decades and I guess that is the core reason why people neglect issues as such.

So I think an event like this, can effectively spur and hopefully, change the mindsets of people towards their countries in due time.

As with reference to the previous post,

"I find it (F1 coming to Singapore) very cool."

And yes, I dare say that proudly and loudly though some may reply "big deal?"

So whether you're a racing fanatic or just a typical citizen with normal pleasures in life, I hope you've found as much joy and prominence in the event as I did. I can't wait for next year's race.

So yea, I hope you liked my little input on the Singapore Formula 1 GP. Again, I apologize for the lack of images, which I'll try to post once I'm at liberty to do so.

Be sure to check back for updates and articles coming right up and I apologize in advance for the lack of activity, due to my commitments.

Cya'll later.

Hard Day's Night

The past few days have been really exhausting for me physically as well as mentally.

Bringing back the bacon is never easy and what better to emphasize that fact then to take up a part time job? Yes, indeed. The recent inactivity is largely due to my adoption of a part time endeavor that I decided to take on, not only for the money but also the experience.

Well, I guess my leg muscles speak for themselves when they scream in aching pain. Imagine walking up and down seemingly endless housing flats distributing similar pieces of advertising material, non stop for the past couple of days. Welcome to my life.

I'd like to think that there's more to a part time job then a simple financial boost. I'd like to think that each and every event or activity has its different aspects, factors and lessons in which the individual will be able to gain from.

(inserts a long drawn out yawn here)

There we go, a well deserved piece of reaction from the body after a hard day at work. Rest is of priority.

Zooming on to a little more excitement (pun intended).

A couple of hours ago saw the dawn of the first ever Singapore Grand Prix as the Formula One test runs ensured.

This may sound uncommon; as the largely audible cars zipped down the tight circuits of the Marina Bay Track, I felt a swell of pride within me. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I've been an avid Formula One Fan for a couple of years now.

But I guess there's a little something more to this little "swell" I experienced though when asked about the Formula One coming into the tiny island we call home, I've always answered with a general simple response:

"I find it really cool."

Tomorrow (or rather today, since I'm posting this entry on Saturday technically) will be an exciting day for sure; I'll be attending the event itself. Really awesome stuff.

I'll try my best amongst my busy schedule nowadays to complete my article as soon as possible so yea, be sure to check back for updates.

Again, I apologize for the inactivity on this page for the said duration (a week to be exact) largely due to my daily commitments.

Till the next update, stay sharpened and precise.

Cya'll later.

'twas the Work of the Source.

That is the moon, in case you're wondering.

Time for a little update.

The past couple of days were really interesting largely due to a couple of significant happenings, thus explaining the reduce in update frequencies.

Results were released earlier this week. I'm sure it was a brief reminiscence of sorts for everyone. (remember the days back in secondary/primary education where you patiently awaited for your test grades?)

Congratulations to everyone who did well!

Due to certain reasons, I will not explicitly post/announce my very own results here, but all I can say's that I'm pleased that all those late nights, eye bags and long meetings paid off. Not to mention, hard work.

The new semester will certainly bring new challenges as well as tougher ones so I guess its time to ruffle up those feathers and work even harder to achieve something more.

Well, as I patiently anticipate the new term, I also thought about things in retrospect.

A year ago, I would be sprawled out upon the study desk, (yes, at this hour too) with a mug of coffee rested neatly upon its warm coaster (you know, the thing that you put mugs on) as my only companion as I faced the non-existent (metaphorically speaking) world of the textbook and the ten year series.

Yes, I had an aim, but I also had something else which I regret having, the ignorance of failure.

What was I to do, lest I failed?

I dared not think about that prospect, for I had really high hopes for myself, and so did my folks. I gave it my all, and deeply believed that I did.

They say that when you're at the bottom, the only way is up.

And that's what I had on my mind, when I got the "fruits" of my labor. I guess the only thing to do was to dust myself up and keep going.

This was probably why I started metallic-stains in the first space, though my bucket-list (which I have yet to complete, BUT I will) first came as in idea for novelty. But it manifested into something more.

It left me thinking that there is more to life then just finishing a bucket-list, though I already had this in mind while I dished up the list; there was a greater, deeper purpose for it.

The idea of a bucket-list, itself, is morbid. But I toyed with the aspect of death while hope was seemingly lost and all was nothing to live for, and yet again, I guess this is why life never fails to amaze you.

Life turns things around. Life induces hope for it corresponds to the same subject matter. And with metallic-stains, to me personally, it symbolizes hope, hope that there's a better tomorrow, and hope that there's improvement and achievement.

So yea, for all those out there who has given up on hope, as I've always encouraged, don't.

Life has a way of throwing bends and loops at you, but straightening these "bends" and "loops" will still end in a straight path at the end of the day.

On a lighter note, the pass couple of days were spent on two entirely different forefronts; formality and leisure.

Yea, this may sound confusing but I assure you that it'll all fall into place with my next article publishing, so yea, hang in there.

Its not entirely common that I'll decide to talk about my past (like in this entry for instance) but yea, thought it would be a good topic to share with you guys, the valued readers.

The past is probably a fragment of my personal history, something which will make me develop further as an individual, so I hoped that you guys appreciated that short little summary.

Remember to check back for updates and articles (really interesting stuff coming up by the way) right here on metallic-stains and for those who are currently engulfed amongst the sea of stress secreted by the ominous presence of pending major exams (such as the O/A' Levels and Promos), you have my sincerest of wishes for success.

Till then.

Cya'll later.

Hysteria's Revisit

Alright valued readers, as promised here's a little revisit on Hysteria's Call.

Again, I'm really really grateful for the comments and feedback received for the narrative so thank you (I'm really grateful thus explaining the repetitive thank yous)

For this post however, I'll be talk about the various themes and aspects in which I considered to be included in Hysteria's Call. I admit that given a little bit more time (as well as resources for that matter) I would have been able to further refine the narrative both in terms of story content as well as theme specification.

If you're feeling a little lost ("What the hell is Hysteria's Call anyway?") be sure to revisit the links on the navigation bar to your right for all installments of Hysteria's Call, 1 to 3.

And with that, lets get things started.

General Commentary

With Hysteria's Call, I thought it would be really interesting to incorporate a mixture of the elements such as nature (represented as the torrential rain) as well as industry and society (the setting of the office building, the man having a high business position etc).

That obviously created a stark contrast for the story plot's development as well as room for the development of certain themes which I'll touch on later on.

I also thought that it would be a good idea to point out the vulnerabilities of even the highest of figures in society (ie. the man) that even they, being human beings, have their breaking point as well as their weaknesses as well. Certainly, no one in the world is absolutely perfect.

The reason why I chose to segment the entire narrative into 3 parts is simply indicating a transition between different settings and scenes. Part 1 sees the man's journey to the cafe, part 2 sees the events unfolding in the cafe itself while part 3 climaxes and concludes the story.

Throughout these 3 parts, we are also able to see and foretell the man's slow degeneration in terms of his mental health, the process of how from having absolute power to even losing control of himself.

Indeed, the irony is evident; a man of great status and power, with control over others, not even able to control himself in the end.

Theme of Hysterics, lack of Self Restrain

Certainly the theme of self restrain, or the lost of self restrain, more rather, is the main underlying aspect of Hysteria's Call. It is the basis of the plot's development as well the main gist of the entire concept, thus giving meaning to the title in itself.

The lack of restrain and mental disorientation causes the man dear as the plot reveals bit by bit, the process of mental corrosion that ultimately leads to his demise.

Here, we are also able to observe the adverse but powerful effects of the human mind. So destructive that it can destroy everything with just a tinge of doubt or uneasiness. This theme clearly portrays what will happen when one loses control and grip over his mind.

And when it is unable to take it all, it self destructs.

We see a transformation. As mention, the man degenerates himself from one of power to a being of lesser status and all that solely with the effect of his mind.

Paranoia is the first tinge the man gets (as seen in part 1) and it eventually evolves into something greater when a heighten sense of stress is achieved (as seen in part 2) where it led to excessive behavior as well as actions (of which he'll soon regret). This evolves into something even greater (as seen in part 3) and as if backfiring, the entire effect falls on the reckoning of the man, of which he deals with harshly.

This is also another fine theme of what power can do to a human being. The excess of power, more rather, draws to the man and makes him vulnerable to a huge blow for he was always obtaining everything that he demanded, worked for or wanted at any all.

And when he doesn't get the due results, a chain reaction starts that leads to the development of the story's plot.

Theme of Love

Love is an energy that exists in no fixed orientation but is evident in all things living, especially in that of human beings.

Though the theme of love in Hysteria's Call is not as obvious as other narratives, there is still a slight interpretation for the simple fact that this energy exists throughout the process of life itself; certainly no exception here.

I've tried to visualize love of the most common and simplest (yet troubling in a sense, as some would comply) form; of that towards the relationship type of love. And thus, I've decided that a simple date between this high and mighty executive and his girlfriend (supposedly) would articulate the point substantially.

With this theme, the power of love is expressed in its own unique fashion especially since it sources from the hard and cold mind of the man. It also shows that he has a softer side and that he is just human.

It is also this power of love that serves as a catalyst for the man's insanity, thus substantiating the grip and attachment within the man himself. It can be considered as the tipping force that pivots the man's mental state of health, from being sane to the opposite.

It was also his addiction and obsession to love that contributed to his ultimate downfall in the end.

Theme of Signs

The existence and presence of signs are largely ignored in our modern society mainly because many people not only do not believe in them. Most regard them as skeptical religious material but with Hysteria's Call, I thought it would have been really good to bring out this aspect and to create awareness.

Signs are tell tale signals, which usually presents itself in the form of events. With Hysteria's Call, I thought it would be a really good idea to start off with a very subtle sign, namely the rain, and slowly progress to the encounter with the taxi driver.

The man's recollection of his day (while he was in the room of the cafe, seemingly waiting for his date), tells readers of the man's entire day's events, of which seem to be trying to tell him something.

Again, I've tried to be as subtle as I can to simulate conditions in reality; signs are often concealed amongst daily events and happenings that we take a natural or "coincidence".

I did that through the rain to not only create an atmosphere for the plot of the story but also to visualize a barrier in the said circumstances, a barrier preventing the man from meeting the fate that unfolded in the story.

The epitome of this theme comes through the encounter between the cab driver and the man, where, by some strange twist of fate, the cab gets stuck and is unable to bring the man to the cafe.

A major hint is dropped in that encounter, where the cabby tries to shout and warn the man but trails off (as seen in part 1). But the mention of signs is also seen in part 2 though sparsely which the man in the story treated with "a pinch of salt".

Conclusion and Parting Commentary

Overall, I'm personally satisfied with the development of Hysteria's Call, and I really hoped that you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Sure there are alot of other themes to explore in this short narrative alone but due to length constrains, I guess this is enough food for thought for the time being.

I would (as expressed earlier) have wished for more time to develop the ending as well as certain segments of the story but the themes came out ideally in my view.

The reason why I chose not to disclose the man's identity (ie. his name) till the very end was down to a couple of reasons. One being that I wanted to keep the formality and i didn't really see the need to disclose his actual name and the other reason was that I valued the suspense till the end.

Feel free to share your comments about Hysteria's Call as well as its various themes via comments (located just right below this post, click on the (number) comments link).

I appreciate feedback from my readers so don't be shy!

Till then, remember to check back for updates and articles. Cause here at metallic-stains, we deliver (ripoff much?).

Cya'll later.

iDifferent

Time for a quick update (and yes, in case you were curious about the picture, I'll touch on that as well later on).

Subway dinners are awesome especially this particular outlet I went to a couple of hours ago (I'm not trying to plug for them but those who love Subway sandwiches will get the deal). To top it off, they had this awesome promotion; buy ANY Subs and get a large meal totally FREE.

So yea, I ended up with one of my favorites, Cold Cut Trio, foot long, no pickles and green chili, sweet onion sauce WITH a large meal (3 chocolate chip cookies, 1 huge cup of coke) entirely on the house.

You can't say that isn't awesome.

Ended up feeling really (really) full and as often when you're feeling full, sleepy (pig much?).

The pass couple of days for me were somewhat enriching to a certain extend.

I've been doing an extensive research about Apple and Apple products. Partly because I'm really impressed with their range of products (with form as well as function) like the newly released iPhone 3G, iPod Nano Chrome and partly because Apple has a really unique marketing system, both in terms of sales as well as conceptualization. Allow me to elaborate.

Apple's sales and production ideas function on the basis of

If I have a phone as well as an MP3 player, why not merge them together?

as well as

I (the company) think the product is cool, you (the consumer) should too.

correct me if I'm wrong about the above observations but as a common consumer in the modern market, that is what Apple is trying to say to its customers.

This is however, not necessarily a bad thing.

In a recent conversation with my folks, we've talked about a myriad of issues, one of which revolving around the idea that teenagers (young adults) yearn to be different in whichever way they can.

Be it in terms of their dressing, hairstyles or even their attitudes, young people nowadays are really being over of the box huh?

as commented from one of my folks.

Yet I can't agree more. Being a member of the "young people" classification myself, I can't help but agree to that observation that the "people of tomorrow and the future" want to and more often, strive to be different.

I guess we prize individuality as an asset and rightly so, in my opinion. I've always believe that being a unique individual is something that no one, will and can ever take away.

And that recollection kinda linked me back to Apple.

The reason why they're doing so well in terms of worldwide sales (for their iPods, Macs, as well as the iPhones) would probably reason down to the simple fact; they approach their businesses differently.

Companies nowadays adopt the marketing concept as it is largely considered "safest" and that's what the consumers generally want, as claimed by marketers. Customizing products to suit its customers' needs and wants may sound really vital and smart in the modern competitive market. But is it what it seems?

With Apple, it is largely believed that they adopt a product concept, generally going along the lines of "Hey, if I think my product is good, it IS good". Simply put, the producers believe in their product.

These guys do not take the consumers' needs and wants into top priority but instead ask themselves stuff like "It would be pretty cool to have a device which you can communicate, listen to music, watch videos as well as surf the internet altogether in one wouldn't it?" and in doing so, conjuring up with fantastic and innovative products.

In a way, Apple is lucky to have received such a response, for it is a huge risk; what if the general consumer base rejects the way the company thinks?

Yet millions of people own Apple products worldwide and I'm pretty sure that a large number comes from the young adults and their ideas of "being different".

Sure, Apple is different from other companies, but it works for them and up till now, I'm trying to figure out why.

This coming from the fact that I have a Safari browser (an Apple program) running looking up facts of the iPhone and just a couple of hours ago, downloaded iTunes (another Apple program) to sought out my music.

And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm seriously contemplating a purchase for the newly released iPhone.

Why the appeal?

I'm afraid its a mixture of the right marketing tools as well as an excellent production process. Both the marketing process, the hype generated thrown into the blender with an already excellent technological marvel results in an exclusive result, something that will attract consumers en masses.

Being different isn't a bad thing and for that, I applaud you Mr Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) for bringing the such innovative and revolutionary gadgets into the world of not only young adults, but also the world of human beings as a whole.

I know that the people of tomorrow, will carry not only the knowledge but also the gadgets of tomorrow.

And I, being one of them, have some serious considerations to make before my final decision.

This isn't just a trend, but also a statement. Not a fashion equivalent but a statement to being different and a statement of revolution.

Should I or shouldn't I? That is the question.

Alright, as I ponder over that little question, remember to check back for updates as well as the upcoming review and revisit on Hysteria's Call right here on metallic-stains.

As mentioned previously, articles might flow in slower during this period of time and thus I express my sincere apologies. But be sure to check back for updates and remember to share your thought via the comment option you see right after this post.

Cya'll later.

Love will make you Beautiful

Just finished reading another one of Paulo's Coelho masterpieces a week or so ago and this time, as seen above, its a little book entitled "The Zahir".

Its really interesting, in typical Paulo Coelho fashion of course.

Needless to say, the book transformed my ideas about certain themes (which I'll be talking about in this post) as well as galvanized my perceptions on certain issues mentioned.

And in this case, it revolved around the often mysterious yet vital components of life itself; Love and Obsession.

Of course, these weren't the only prominent themes mentioned in the book. Quite a number of other themes and aspects were put into play in the giant blender that resulted in the entire plot of the story.


Well, as typical to my "reviews", I won't regurgitate every single detail and plot of the book (for I strongly believe that everyone has his or her own interpretations to the contents) but will instead, shred some light as well as my personal feelings and comments.


With that, lets start off with the obvious:

The Theme Of Obsession

The plot of the entire book basically revolves around the author's (not too sure if its an actual narrative) wife mysteriously disappearing after mutual disagreements through the rite of their marriage. The author's wife is a war journalist and after her disappearance, many allegations about her pop up; has she decided to cheat on her husband, has she been kidnapped, is she dead, and many other suggestions.

This theme kicks in just as his wife suddenly disappears.

Though they had their disagreements, the author loved his wife deeply and vice versa, though their love is not of conventional fashion probably due to the fact that both of them hold high positions in society (one a journalist, the other a world famous writer).

The reason why I suggested that the theme of obsession revolved throughout the book was that the plot and the entire storyline in itself, talks about how the protagonist struggles to deal with his obsession for the "Zahir".

The "Zahir", derived from an Arabic term, simply put means being visible and evident, or "(beings or things) that have the power to be unforgettable" (as cited from http://www.amorphy.org/Zahir.html)

I guess the author's relation is valid and it hints at the depth and seriousness of his love and passion for his wife.

The obsession however, changes him and in doing so, revolutionizes his way of thinking about the power of love, and evidently, "forgetting your personal history".

The power of love is strong, but the power of obsession? It is unquestionable as the protagonist relates in the book that the obsession led to seeing "Zahirs" (which was a certain something that he saw in his wife) in multiple women after her disappearance.

Though this obsession may be superficially interpreted as; man loses wife, man craves for wife, man gets carried away taking other women for wife, man finds for wife. There is alot in question to this obsession.

I feel that this theme of obsession is very much evident in our modern society, just that its not that obvious as well as the varying degree of such "obsessions".

I can cite examples like young boys having crushes on girls (or vice versa) but we have to look at the varying degree of the entire aspect, are we talking about the same levels of obsession here?

This theme endorses both maturity as well as a certain degree of love which thus makes it prominent in the plot of the story.

I guess its a question of "how much are you willing to give up or how far are you willing to go to satisfy the obsession and love?" though whether the obsession will be satisfied encompasses a totally different thing.

Note that the "Zahir" as mentioned by the author in an extensive interview (as seen here http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/readingguide.aspx?authorID=1858&isbn13=9780060825218&displayType=bookinterview), derails the individual from achieving one's personal legend (with relation to The Alchemist).

That I feel, holds a certain degree of truth, but lets ask ourselves what if we are able to harness and control the Zahir and the obsession to work towards to things or outcomes we yearn?

It is often said and noted that love and obsession comes in hand in hand, which is evident on certain levels but not quite as the book puts out, bringing us to the next theme.

The Theme of Love

"Do not underestimate the power of love"

I guess that's what the theme centers around. Only in this context, the "power of love" is a a new interpretation and meaning altogether.

Though I understand that Love in itself, holds no fixed definition. Ask even the most brilliant of professors and they will still stumble to give you an answer.

The book however, considers Love a "divine power" as illustrated by the experiences amongst the people in the Armenian restaurant as well as through a certain special individual called Mikhail, who links the protagonist up with his wife ultimately.

The protagonist, though skeptical of the existence of this "divine power", upon increasing interactions with the "tribe" and Mikhail, soon realizes its existence and prominence in the world, though it is claimed that this "power" diminishes in the modern society.

I guess Love can be considered something above logic to say the least, but to me, Love is basically part of the human soul.

The pinnacle of emotions, I guess would be a apt comparison; nothing can top an individual's true feelings for another individual.

The society of today has however, corroded the use of "true love" and I find many don't understand or fully grasp the true concept of love. Yes, Love defines itself in many forms but in our society, this is often confused with lust or even sexual connotations.

Again, I find this disturbing as it manifests the true meaning of love, which results in it being used casually.

The theme of Love mentioned here is a strong force though I dare not put a definition to it.


Other Themes and the Lot

One particular other theme struck me hard; the Acomodador.

To put it simply, it refers to the "breaking point" or the point where one totally gives up on a course of action due to a reason or another.

To me personally, I've had numerous encounters with the Acomodador in the past, just that it goes unnoticed. I guess life has its ways to throw someone off the course and when pushed to the extreme end, that individual confronts the Acomodador.

I feel that there's nothing wrong with giving up, as long as you when you're SUPPOSED to give up.

"When there's a will there's a way" may seem optimistic to some, but the fact that when there's a "will" in a particular feat, there WILL be a way (pun intended).

I feel that as long as one puts in his or her best on a particular endeavor, the outcome isn't at all important; its the process that makes the purpose.

Life is a journey and whatever happens in the end (the inevitable truth of death) does not matter but what happens in between will impact oneself. If we were to harp on the end, shouldn't we just sit down and wait for our time to come?

I guess what this aspect in "The Zahir" is trying to put forward could have been illustrated like this:

- Strong motivation to satisfy obsession-> no Acomodador-> Success
- Weak motivation-> Acomodador-> Gives up

The "Zahir" in this plot may refer to someone but naturally, the Zahir can be anything at all so long as it warrants itself as an obsession.

In a way, the Zahir can be treated as a distraction (as mentioned earlier) for one en route to achieving his or her personal legend and as portrayed in the plot, the author's Zahir derails him from his work or his lifestyle.

In my own interpretation of Love (with reference to the book), the Zahir is the ideal partner. It is not metaphorical and it exists but unlike anything physical, it transcribes from person to person until that special one is found.

It takes maturity to be obsessed, of course given then right factors, in the right way, though Love does not naturally constitute to obsession.

Use the power of Love to harness and refine your soul and though it may sound really cliche, Love really is the most powerful emotion. This Love that I'm talking about isn't restricted to passionate love but also family love.

In a way, I guess its up to the individual as to how can he or she use this aspect of the human emotion to strengthen his or her life.


With that, I end my "review" and response to the book. I apologize for the length of the post but I guess I got a little too insightful at certain points; the themes have alot of potential for discussion.

Remember to check back soon for I'll be doing a analysis on the themes used in Hysteria's Call. I also apologise for my lack of recent articles, due to my schedule but rest assured for I'm in the midst of working on an article to post.

But before I end, let me post a question to you guys, my valued readers:

"What Is Love To You?"

Looking forward to all of your comments and feedback!

Cya'll later.

Best of 3 Worlds?

Glad to see that the third and final installment of Hysteria's Call warrants such positive feedback from you guys; really appreciate feedback as well as your comments and a big...

THANK YOU!

I really hope you guys enjoyed the short (look, its just 3 posts long yea?) narrative and from it all, learn of something new as well as a little food for thought. I will be doing a follow-up post (not this one) on the various themes and share a couple of thoughts I have for the story itself so check back when that's posted.

And ahhh, yes. On to today's update and main substantive...

*GEEK MODE ACTIVATE*




Okay, I guess the picture pretty much sums up what I'm thinking but before the confused faces pop up, let me explain. Slowly.

This past couple of days have been, well kinda dry, so I decided to do a little research to induce a certain change in a part of my life.

I mean come on, what better way to change your daily lifestyle then to search for new Internet browsers? Well I guess I was kinda attracted to Google's newly released internet browser, (what's its name again? *runs off to search*) Chrome, as featured on the Wednesday paper (or was it Thursday, oh well).

After a rather comprehensive research on the net, I ended up with 2 other browsers that enticed me, personally; Mozilla Firefox and Safari.

Awesome.

I've been using IE (Internet Explorer) since god knows when so yea, I guess it would be a decent change. I was strangely nervous, partly because I didn't really know what to expect from these browsers (I've never actually used them firsthand, though have had experience from other sources) and partly because I was a teeny bit reluctant.

So yea, lets start off with the household standard, Internet Explorer.

Walk into any PC store (NOTE the word PC, not APPLE, PC), purchase a standard desktop or laptop and you'll get this browser, flat out. I guess this explains its tremendous market share as compared to the others. But take nothing away from it.

IE serves well through its standard functions and "down right to earth" user interface, making research and finding information a breeze. And face it, anyone who's been to the internet has at least used IE ONCE, thus its ease of use.

Firefox however, is a whole new ballgame.

Hmm... How should I put this. Customizable themes, User-friendly interface plus faster loading times, its certainly a breath of fresh air. I guess Firefox won me over with its awesome looking interface (which as mention, can be customized according to the user) as well as its "safer browsing" and downloading interfaces.

No wonder most of my friends and people in my social circle use (and often promote the use of) Firefox.

Safari may sound like a zoo, but if only zoos were this sleek (but hey, I love the zoo).

Originated from and made for the Mac OS (operating system for apple computers, kinda amounts to the same thing really), Apple users out there will know what I'm going on about.

Apple Computers define technology in style. Even geeks with Apple computers get the chicks (metaphorical analogy). Though the colors of the user interface may strike as dull (dull grey-ish), I was particularly into the scroll bar (typical Apple scroll bar) and the font used. Simplicity is sleek and beautiful.

So yea, as you might have already have guessed, I couldn't really choose from the 3 browsers. But what the heck, if the world was filled with so many restrictions, what's the point of living life to the fullest?

So I decided to keep all 3 browsers (big surprise), each with its own distinct use and place in my lifestyle.

Take now for example; I have all 3 browsers opened, IE's doing some sought of research about wine, Safari's looking up on Guitar Hero 3 and Apple products while I'm blogging on Firefox.

The thought of changing my desktop to an iMac, is however, a very very appealing prospect... (not counting the financial issue)

*All respective brand and company names, products and programs belong fully to the company itself. There was and will not be any biased intention though this post by the owner of this blog or its managing team. All references can be found at the respective company websites.*

*GEEK MODE OFF*

Yep, so there you have it. Just a short review and update I guess. Its not entirely often that I diverse into technology on metallic-stains, but I'm sure it'll be a breath of fresh air for you guys here.

I guess its good to bring about a change in your life once in awhile, it keeps you going and makes you think that there always more to life then our routine. It also forces you out of your comfort zone, something which I think is vital for self improvement.

Just a little food for thought for you guys to ponder over (once again). And yea, a very big thank you again, for all the feedback and response regarding Hysteria's Call.

Be sure to check back for updates and articles on metallic-stains. Remember, life is full of changes and turnarounds.

Cya'll later.

Hysteria's Call, Part 3

Okay, the much awaited part 3 of Hysteria's Call.

The grand finale of the entire story will be centred around this instalment thus explaning its lenghty content and elaboration but trust me, it'll leave you thinking for sure as it has left me.

Alright then, with that said, enjoy the narrative and provide me with valuable feedback as you deem fit!


“...The door to the room creaked to life and gave the man a good hard jolt back into reality.

“I was thinking if you’d like some wine to accompany you while you wa...”

Another silence ensured and all was still once again.

A huge clash followed and everything blurred out of focus for quite some time, seemingly.

...

The man regained his composure and looked around. The entire room was in an utter mess and cold wind was blowing in, through a crack made in one of the window panes.

What the hell happened here, the man questioned himself, largely taken aback at his surroundings where plates and cutlery lay all round the place, much less of their former elegance, in tattered pieces while chairs where uplifted and overturned.

So much to the extent that the man was even surprised that the table was still intact. He was even more surprised to find himself down on his knees, apparently in a braced position, ducking and avoiding the entire ruckus.

He had little memory of what happened a few moments back and everything to him materialised itself in a blur.

Someone must have tried to shoot me, or something, he concluded.

Cold wind blew at the man’s back, revealing the broken window pane and this prompted the man to stand up and gain a better understanding of his surroundings. He dusked away the glass chips that gathered both on his suit as well as on his straightened business styled pants. He didn’t pay much attention to his hair, however, though it was wildly displaced at this point of time, as if someone or something had tried to dismember part of his skull.

This was also when he realised that a splitting headache had formulated and was throbbing dully by his temples, in unison to the rhythm of the rain outside, which ensured a steady stream of ice cold air circulating the room.

Damn this headache and the damn rain, where the heck is she, the man furious now, with fists on the chaos ridden mess, amongst the remains of the table.

A gust of wind howled just as if on cue and the man shivered down to his gut, as a fresh new gust of wind froze the air in the room, as if sending out a message to the man.

Evidently, the other people in the restaurant had heard the noises coming from upstairs (the room was on the second level of the restaurant), and not long, footsteps echoed in the hallway and voices of urgency signalled the arrival of the restaurant crew.

The man was one part relieved that help was on the way, but also furious to get some answers out of the employees of the restaurant. However, something made him look down at his shoes for he felt contact.

He gasped at what he saw.

There it was, a steady stream of blood flowing from...

The man’s heart skipped twice over as he traced the origin of that stream of blood.

There at the doorway to the room lay another man, smartly clad in white overalls which waiters in the restaurant usually dawned. The only difference was that his top was dyed a violent blood red which dripped all over his overalls and fresh blood was flowing even as the man looked on.

What the... the man could only mouth those words silently as his eyes made his way to the source of blood and the wound.

It was a gruesome sight.

A metallic object, which the man vaguely made out as a fork, was pierced and speared into the face of the waiter and blood was oozing out from which the fork made contact. The waiter was motionlessly facing upwards save the fact that blood was still flowing steadily.

The man almost belched at what he’s seen but another thought replaced the picture before him and fear began to instil itself in the man’s mind.

Out of a sudden spur of adrenaline, the man lunged himself out of the nearest window and out into the cold rain that raged from above.

That feeling of intensity within him was so extreme that he let out a cry of ecstasy as he flew out of the room and landed on a patch of soft, wet grass, behind the cafe where he dined.

With his suit already wet and his hair obviously nowhere near his standard of perfection, the man deserted his usual thought of tidying up and helped himself up, oblivious to the shouts that crept through the sound of the rain, from the cafe.

Without even looking back, the man gathered himself and ran, as fast as he could, as if something was hot in pursuit right behind him.

The cafe faded from view and the rain intensified to an impossible state, as if attempting to mask the man’s presence from the very thing that hunted him down.

-

“Good lord, Sir! You’re utterly soaked” the man’s chief butler remarked before sending the servants of the man’s residence to fetch towels and whatever they can to make their master warm and out of the rain.

The man arrived at his residence panting deeply and feeling immensely cold, due to the savage rain. Upon reception with his waiters however, he totally disregarded them and stormed all the way to his room, clearly uninterested in the towels, hot chocolate or biscuits being offered to make him feel better after running through the rain.

Bloody servants, he muttered before ascending the incredible flight of stairs that led to the place where he felt safest.

His house was huge and it took him quite awhile before reaching the massive doors that barricaded his comfort zone from the rest of the world and with another great deal of effort the man pushed with what strength he has left and stepped into the room. The door had never been heavier.

The man stripped off his soaked clothes as soon as the massive doors closed upon him, and prepared himself for a hot, long shower in the bathroom.

He glanced into the mirror that framed the bathroom and thought to himself about what had just happened.

Something’s not right, the man concluded.

He soon pulled himself away from the mirror and proceeded to start the shower.

There was a rap on the door to his room as soon as he turned the tap on.

There it goes again. The man turned the tap back off and fumbled for some clothes, with a slight tint of fear and a strange rush of excitement at the same time; no one has ever knocked on his doors nor intruded his room, not even his servants, they would usually call him on the intercom.

Its here to kill me, the man’s eyes wide and his thoughts running wild in his mind. He then ran over to his bedside drawer where he kept a revolver, which was always loaded. The man believed that it “never hurts to be safe than sorry” and he thanked himself for that given the current situation.

The knocking continued and with each rap of the door, the man’s heartbeat grew increasingly faster.

Step by step, he crept up to the door, literally on tiptoes as the knocking grew louder and more desperate sounding.

Let just get this over and done with, the man now sweating with trembling hands over the revolver, ready to pull the trigger anytime.

The knocking stopped and again, the rain seemingly stopped for the second time tonight and all was a still picture.

The door swung open and gunshots echoed the huge residential area where the man resided.

-

The revolver fell to the ground with a dull thud.

The man himself slumped in a corner on the ground, a rare sight for a man of his character, personality and position in life.

He sat beside a pool of blood though it wasn’t his and stared down at what he’s done.

There on the stone hard marble encrusted floor lay the chief butler face down in his own pool of blood motionless. A tray of cookies lay beside him, sprawled out as well as a mug of hot chocolate, in pieces all over the place with drips of chocolate lining the floor along with a red liquid that oozed from his body.

What... have I done, the man buried his hands into his wet hair and tugged at it, enhancing the pain from the headache as well as the pain of ripping out his own hair.

“So it was me, myself, all along.”

The hair, the cafe, the waiter and now the chief butler, it all fell into place one by one like a jigsaw puzzle. There was no assassin, there was no attacker, there was nobody wanting to kill the man, but everything sprouted from within him.

“WHERE IS SHE?” with rage in his voice as well as insanity, the man screamed his lungs out.

She has been the cause of the man’s rise to insanity, she has been the source of it all, she has been the one who caused all this, she... the man, unable to control himself released a torrent of rage and pumped his fist on the floor.

Indeed, the man was driven to insanity and everything he had would be drawn to naught. In the morning, the media would have already gotten news of the killing at the cafe which would point to the man, which will in turn, spawn further controversy. The chambermaid would also discover the lifeless corpse of the chief butler when she does her routine in the morning, thus concluding the murderer.

The man’s life was over and even as he stood on the ledge to his balcony, he thought of the cause of it all, the women that he was supposed to meet earlier on, the one that stood him up and most importantly, the only one he truly loved...

The man’s cell phone buzzed from within his wet pair of pants which he stripped off earlier on. The ringing soon stopped but a text message was received.

“Sorry Richard, I can’t make it tonight for the dinner due to the heavy rain and it was because of that, I couldn’t get to you all night. Sorry! I’ll give you a call when I’m safely home, don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I miss you, love!”

Of course dear Richard wasn’t there to read the message. In fact, he wasn’t anywhere at all. She never got to hear from him ever again, and he was never to be seen ever again.

But scribbled right on his bed was a note which read, “I won’t wait for you anymore” in a red ink, possibly blood.

The man never lived nor died."

-END-

With that, this narrative comes to a close and as I've mentioned, I'm open to feedback and comments to this series.

I will also be doing a followup post on the various themes I considered for this narrative as well as some references and influences I've drawn for this narrative.

Till then, keep a look out for metallic-stains and check back soon for updates.

Cya'll later.

Bread, Circuses and a whole lot more.

Okay, time for a little update on metallic-stains.

The past couple of days were really awesome and full of activity. thus explaining the lack of updates or activity here.

First off, there was this wacky and fun birthday party/stayover (one of my friend's birthday) that lasted over the weekends. Really awesome stuff. It was a good opportunity to meet up with old friend as week as to have (a heck load of) fun.

From the weird soil cake to the alcohol games (just for the kicks), the party was a blast. Getting to sleep was a terrible problem as no one wanted, nor felt like sleeping, despite the drinks and the time of the day (we were probably awake till around 5 to 6-ish?).

Didn't get to sleep much, but then again, I didn't even sleep. We literally had drinks the entire night (and morning for that matter) and we entertained ourselves with the Xbox, largely from GTA4, where we thought of the best way to die, or kill Niko Bellic (the main character, the person players control ingame).

Really awesome stuff, but the hangover bits were kinda, well, horrible.

The next couple of days however, were spent at a class chalet that was organized to foster class bonding as well as to have fun in general.

The first night was decent and as in typical chalet fashion, we had instant cup noodles, went out at 3 to 4 am and slept only when the sun rose.

The second day was filled with class bonding activities of which revolved around the barbeque that happened in the evening. Though we were dampered by rainy weather, it was all good in the end, even our lecturer came to join in the fun.

I guess the chalet was an excellent platform for class bonding and I'm really sure that we've learnt new things about one another in a way or so. Great stuff and the new semester will see new challenges for sure as well as friendships being stronger fostered and cultivated.

The saying of "Bread and Circuses" (with reference from paulocoelhoblog.com), kinda got me interested. Basically it circles and questions the fact that people require food and fun and not necessarily freedom to survive.

Well, there is a certain degree of truth to that, but lets view it in a different light. I'm sure nobody would give up his or her freedom for food and fun, though is can be considered a basic need. Hmm... a little food for thought here perhaps?

Alright, best get some rest; body's feeling under the weather due to the lack of sleep, "heaty" food as well as the weather (oh the irony).

Remember to check back for updates and the final instalment of "Hysteria's Call" and also articles which I'll post in abit.

Cya'll later.